The following post is from Katie of Kitchen Stewardship:

source: SimplyLA

I totally wrecked a half dozen of my cloth diapers, just by washing them.

Mostly the more expensive, nicer ones of the 25 cloth diapers I reviewed.

It was tragic.

The silver lining, as with all stupid mistakes I make, is that I get to share it with the world so you don’t experience the same leaky drama as our household has been through.

It all started when I got a sample from a small Etsy seller of a laundry detergent that was sort of similar to the basic homemade laundry soap: homemade soap, baking soda, borax, washing soda, and lavender essential oil.

I try to be a faithful reviewer and give every product its fair shake so I can fully explain pros and cons, so I used it exclusively to wash my cloth diapers for at least a few weeks last September.

Near the end of the month, my blood pressure started being eternally high because it seemed like a number of diapers were suddenly causing wet-pants-syndrome (and the related “wet-side-of-Mommy’s-shirt” syndrome) even before two hours! It took me a while to piece it all together:

1. That it wasn’t all the diapers, but only certain covers. Remember, I had 25 covers and even more inserts to juggle.

2. That the urine was clearly going directly through the front of the cover. I finally confirmed this by putting water on a clean, dry cover and watching it soak right through. Frustration level = high!

3. That it was odd so many had died at the same time…

5. …and also that the diapers that I was losing weren’t all the same age. Some had been in use about 8-9 months, others only 3-4 months. The older ones would have been through the dryer near the beginning of our cloth journey, but I had been exclusively air drying for 5 months or so.

What gives?

I finally realized that the only change that all the diapers would have experienced in common was that detergent I used to wash them.

Is this a common problem?

source: Kitchen Stewardship

I started sending questioning emails to some of the companies that had sent me the diapers that were affected, asking if they had ever heard of this problem with homemade detergent before.

Catherine at the Willow Store offered her knowledge. She is well versed in “laundry science” – which is a real thing, although it’s almost more of an art form!

She explained that to get any laundry clean, you have to hit the nail on the head with:

1. water temperature
2. which cycle to use
3. how big the load should be
4. how many times to rinse
5. and most importantly, finding the right detergent for your water

I can’t even begin to touch Catherine’s knowledge, so just check out her “how to do laundry” page. If you’re wondering, I personally do both a pre-rinse and a second rinse.

Water in particular is different in each community, really, so when cloth diaper enthusiasts say, “This works perfectly for me!” it rarely extrapolates to other communities.

For example, getting all the soap out is a big deal with washing cloth diapers. If you don’t, you have “build-up” and that causes stink and leaks, two things most parents have plenty of already. If you wonder whether you have soapy buildup, swish the insert or cover in warm water.  If you see no suds, you’re good. If suds come off into the water, it needs another rinse.

Catherine was surprised I was losing the waterproof barrier on my covers, because most covers should last at least 2-3 years, and the Velcro usually goes first, within the first year. Using a hot dryer decreases the life of the elastic, so if you dry the covers, you can expect to lose the legs before other parts go kaput.

She talked through some potential issues with homemade detergent:

1. large particles “scratch” and rip PUL
2. creating buildup on the inserts
3. simply not being right for your water (and the seller can’t even guess as to why, whereas a bigger company like Rockin’ Green has done so much testing and really understands water differences)

She said for me to pull the PUL sort of inside out, and get a visual as much as possible to see if there were visible imperfections, like tiny holes, or if the waterproof part was fully separated from the PUL in two distinct layers.

Neither seemed to be the case for me, so while I gained a lot of information, I still didn’t have covers that held in anything worth a darn.

Stripping Cloth Diapers

source: Kitchen Stewardship

I also talked to Sarah at Softbums, who coached me in the process of how to strip my cloth diapers.

She warned me first of all not to ever use actual “soap” - for example, Fels Naptha is no good, especially with synthetics. It creates too much buildup and kills the absorbency (of the inserts).

Whether the actual “soap” in the ingredients list of this product had an impact on my covers, we’ll never know.

In case there was a build-up issue, and because the diaper inserts really were starting to get a deep, heavy stench as soon as they were wet (a sure sign it’s time to strip!), Sarah instructed me to strip my cloth diapers using these steps:

1. Turn water heater up to 140F or higher.
2. Wash everything 3 times on HOT, using 1 Tbs. Dawn blue dish detergent OR Purex free and clear (Purex as a company, according to Sarah, has good intentions and is fairly eco-friendly. It was weird for me to buy regular commercially branded detergent to wash my cloth diapers, after so many years of trying to save the earth by avoiding them.).
3. Then run the wash cycle 2 more times with no detergent in there.
4. Pull the covers out and dry them on high for 10 minutes, then pull to hang dry. (The idea behind drying the covers on hot, which Catherine also recommended, is to potentially “re-seal” the PUL in case there were little pinprick holes in the covers.)
5. Wash the inserts two more times, once with detergent, and once without.

A “full load” for this process is no more than 24 diapers.

I told Sarah I had tried boiling the diapers in my big canning pot to get the stench out, and she explained that boiling them to strip doesn’t work for buildup or smell…that’s only when they’re new to prep them for absorbency.

I try the stripping process.

source: Kitchen Stewardship

It took me a long time to get around to stripping the diapers, knowing that I’d need a whole weekend to get through the process. I had to make sure all the diapers were available, so we put John in disposables for a number of days.

Turning up the water heater is a big deal – expect to burn your hands a few times before you remember you just can’t use all the way to hot.

Ultimately, the diaper stripping process did wondrous things for the stinky insert syndrome.

It did not, unfortunately, cure the leaky cover syndrome.

I do think it helped somehow, because I didn’t totally throw in the towel.

But this issue really threw me. If I have to pitch 6-8 of my favorite diapers, including one of my overnights, do I bother investing more money in cloth, when John is now 20 months and potentially near the end of his time in diapers?

I give myself (and my husband) a grace of taking a Sabbath from cloth on Sundays, which is really quite nice. Lately, thinking about the potential for leaks and not being able to decide what to do about it really makes it harder and harder to go back to cloth diapers on Monday.

Please, learn from my mistakes! Never use real soap on your cloth diapers, be wary of homemade detergents, and strip those stinky things before your husband threatens to toss you and the diaper pail out on the street!

More information on how to strip cloth diapers & laundry science:

• helpful video on when to strip your diapers
• video from the same folks on how to strip cloth diapers (they use bleach and Dawn and explain why it’s eco-friendly enough for them)
• my own cloth diaper laundry routine for the normal, non-stripping days
• my final cloth diaper recommendations, newly updated. I also updated my cloth diaper review to share which ones have played out (under normal circumstances, not this soap fiasco. For example, two elastics have died before a year of use.)

Have you ever had a near-death experience for your cloth diapering days?

	Katie Kimball is a mom of three who spends a ton of time in the kitchen making real food with whole ingredients and then blogs about her successes and failures at Kitchen Stewardship. She believes everything in life is a gift from God and should be taken care of wisely.

Laundry Science 101: How to Wash Cloth Diapers {And How Not To} is a post from Life Your Way

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The following post is from Victoria of Project Homestead:

source: projecthomestead.com

Taste

Heirloom varieties are time-tested seeds grown (and loved) by generations of gardeners. They’re often recognized for their superb taste, beauty or other charming qualities. But many modern varieties and hybrids are a close second—and may offer better resistance to disease. I’m going to try “Sweet Mama” squash because it’s said to be especially yummy.

source: projecthomestead.com

Pest & Disease Resistance

Some varieties are bred to resist certain diseases, which makes them easier to grow in a season when the weather is less than ideal. They’re a great bet if you’re unsure about your garden conditions. Johnny’s Selected Seeds (and other seed suppliers) offer “Easy Choice” crops, varieties that are a sure bet for beginning gardeners.

Your Micro-climate

Is your garden sunny or shady most of the time? Do you have heavy soil that’s often wet, or is it sandy, light and dry? If a seed packet says “prefers well-drained soils,” that means its seeds may rot in a wet year or in soggy soils. Choose varieties and crops that will tolerate—if not thrive in—your spot.

How You Plan to Use Them

Depending on how you plan to use veggies from your garden can help decide which variety to grow. For example, some cucumbers are plump and perfect for making pickles, while others are slender and almost seedless, which make them great for slicing and fresh eating. Your packet (or your seed catalog) will mention special notes like these.

source: missyredboots

Direct Seeding or Transplants

Some crops grow best when started indoors first, then transplanted outside once they have a strong root system. If a seed company doesn’t give instructions for direct-seeding, assume you’ll need to buy or start your own transplants. Celery, tomatoes, and peppers don’t take well to direct seeding, but you can toss lettuce, carrots, beets, peas and corn seeds right into warm soil.

How Much Time You Have

If you have little patience for weeding, stick with crops that you can mulch and leave alone. Lettuce, baby greens, carrots, and beets require attention to keep weeds from crowding them out. But others, including cucumbers, squash, onions, kale, rhubarb, and most herbs don’t. Surround them with straw or other mulch and you can practically ignore them until harvest time.

source: stock.xchng

Diversity

And unless you’ve grown a particular seed (in your garden) with great results, it’s a good idea to buy two varieties of each crop whenever you can. Each variety reacts differently to pests, disease, weather and soil conditions, so planting a mix improves your odds of having a great harvest—no matter what surprises Mother Nature brings.

Happy gardening.

What are your favorite seeds to grow?

	Victoria is a writer and editor who lives with her husband and two boys, seven hens, thousands of honeybees, and far too many woodchucks on a homestead-in-the-making in southern Maine. When she’s not gardening, chicken herding, sewing, or learning how to aim a shotgun, she blogs about it at Project Homestead.

How to Choose the Best Seeds for Your Garden is a post from Life Your Way

© 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Green Your Way subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please send an email to contact@yourway.net to let us know. Thanks.

The following post is from Micaela of Mindful Momma:

source: Micaela

Living in the Upper Midwest, I am used to the dry skin that long winters and too much time in artificially heated air bring on. My bathroom cabinets are filled with lotions and potions geared to combat dry skin, but I’ve found that there’s nothing like a creamy body butter to give my skin that drink of moisture that it desperately needs. Body butters are richer than regular lotions and typically contain a high percentage of oils to moisturize skin. But when you buy a body butter from the drugstore or department store, who knows what’s really in there. Check out the ingredients and you’ll see a list of chemicals you can hardly pronounce.

That’s where making your own moisturizer comes in. Homemade body butter is super easy, and the whipped formula makes it just as luxurious as something you would find in a high-end store. Even better, this recipe contains only 3 ingredients – plus essential oils if you prefer a scented cream – so you know exactly what you are putting on your skin.

This body butter would also make a great addition to your DIY  Mother’s Day gift basket!

source: Micaela

Ingredients

1/2 cup unrefined shea butter (I purchase shea butter in bulk from my local co-op but you can buy it online through mountainroseherbs.com or on Amazon.com.)

1/4 cup cocoa butter (available in a jar or as disks like you see in the photo above. Just be sure your kids don’t think they are candy!)

1/4 cup sweet almond oil

10 to 24 drops essential oil of your choice 

Recipe makes about 1 cup of body butter.

Instructions

Bring water to a simmer in the bottom of a double boiler.  Measure out the shea butter (you have to pack into the measuring cup like you would brown sugar) and place in the top of the double boiler.  Add the cocoa butter disks or chunks from your jar of cocoa butter (cocoa butter is a solid so you have to dig it out of the jar). Allow both ingredients to melt together.

source: Micaela

Next, add the sweet almond oil. Mix together and turn off the heat on the double boiler. Now you can add the essential oils. My favorite is a blend of sandalwood, sweet orange and geranium that I call my tranquility blend. Let the mixture cool until it has started to set up but is not yet solid. This could take a couple of hours if you leave it at room temperature. Or you can speed up the process by putting it in the refrigerator for about an hour. It should look slightly opaque – as you see in this photo:

source: Micaela

Now for the fun part! Get out your mixer (hand or stand) and start whipping. You will see it change from a thick, yellowish, lemon curd-like mixture into a fluffy whipped cream right before your eyes in only a few minutes.

source: Micaela

Finally, spoon the cream into a  jar. A repurposed jelly jar works just fine if the body butter is for yourself, but you may want to upgrade to a nicer jar if you are giving it as a gift. The jar you see in this photo is from Organized Living.

source: Micaela

Note: Body Butter can be stored at room temperature but, in the summer months, it may liquefy depending on how warm it gets. In that case, you might want to store it in the refrigerator. Since this product contains no preservatives, the shelf life is approximately 3 months.

Do you have a favorite homemade body care product?

Micaela Preston is a green lifestyle writer and marketing consultant with a passion for sustainable products and brands. Her award winning blog, Mindful Momma, focuses on living a green and healthy lifestyle while balancing the realities of life with young children. Micaela lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two boys. When she is not writing, she is busy whipping up a healthy meal or the eco-craft du jour.

Homemade Whipped Body Butter Recipe is a post from Life Your Way

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Whether you’re a new or experienced gardener, this week’s collection includes a variety of gardening tips for everyone! Learn how to garden without a big budget or a lot of space, discover tips for organic gardening and preserving your harvest, and get organized with custom printables. But don’t wait because this bundle is on sale for 75% off this week only!

With your purchase, you’ll get all five of the following ebooks:

• Frugal Gardening 101 by Phoebe Hendricks
• Apartment Gardening by Jami Balmet
• Simple Food {For Spring} by Shannon Stonger
• Heavenly Homemaker’s Guide to Gardening and Preserving by Laura
• The Gardening Notebook by Angi Schneider

Get yours today!

Even if you’re not interested in this week’s bundle, be sure to sign up for the BundleoftheWeek.com weekly newsletter so you can be the first to know about the latest bundle:

Get a Collection of Gardening eBooks for $7.40 {BundleoftheWeek.com} is a post from Life Your Way

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The following guest post is from Stacy of A Delightful Home:

source: A Delightful Home

Every mother wants to feel special.

One of my favorite ways to communicate love and care is through handmade gifts.

Before you run away, thinking there’s no time to make something, let me assure you that the following DIY body care set is so quick and easy to put together, you’ll be done in less than 30 minutes!

This gift set is designed to pamper and relax (hence the lavender). The combination of a sugar scrub, bath soak and body oil will help mom feel rejuvenated and peaceful.

Add a box of herbal tea and a some chocolate to make this gift extra special.

Here’s what to do:

For the quickest method, follow these steps in order.

Lavender Body Oil

source: A Delightful Home

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon dried lavender buds
• 1/2 cup sweet almond oil (or safflower oil)
• 5 drops lavender essential oil

Directions:

Place lavender and oil in heavy pan and stir to combine. Heat over low heat until the oil is warm. Don’t let it come to a boil. Once the oil is warm. Remove from heat and leave to cool.

While the oil is cooling, make the sugar scrub; you will strain the lavender buds out and add the essential oil at the end.

(If you are not prone to distraction, like me, you can mix up the scrub while the oil is warming. If you do, just be sure to watch the oil so it doesn’t boil.)

Lavender Body Scrub

source: A Delightful Home

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon dried lavender buds
• 3/4 white sugar
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1/3 plus 2 tablespoons oil (safflower, sweet almond, or olive oil)
• 5 drops lavender essential oil
  or try a combination of lavender and lemon (3 drops each)
  or 3 drops lavender and 2 drops chamomile

Directions:

In a bowl mix together the sugar and salt. Sprinkle in the lavender buds and stir to combine.

(If making the bath bags as well, add the lavender buds and salt to the bath bags now to save time; 1/8 cup of lavender buds and 1 tablespoon of salt into each bag.)

Add the oil and stir again. If the scrub seems too dry, add a little more oil. Scrub should hold together but not be overly runny.

Add the essential oil and stir to distribute. Spoon into a jar with a tight fitting lid. This will fit perfectly in a half-pint, wide mouth mason jar. Add a label (here are some free labels).

On your label, note that sugar scrub should not be used on broken skin or skin that is sunburned or wind burned.

Lavender Salt Bath Bags

source: A Delightful Home

These lavender salt bath bags provide are perfect for hard working moms; the lavender relaxes while the salt softens skin and soothes tired muscles.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup dried lavender buds
• 2 tablespoons salt (Epsom salt, sea salt or table salt)
• 2 small cotton or muslin drawstring bags or two squares of cloth and elastic bands
• Optional extra: add 1 tablespoon ground oats and/or 1 teaspoon grated soap in each bag

Directions:

If you have not done so already, spoon 1/8 cup of lavender buds and 1 tablespoon of salt into each bag. Add any optional extras now.

Tighten the drawstring on the bags and set aside.

If you do not have cotton bags, cut out a square of muslin or cotton fabric and place herbs and salt in the center. Fold up the sides and secure with a rubber band. (If you are having trouble picturing this, see this post: How to make bath bags)

Put it all together.

The lavender and oil you heated for the body oil should be cool. Strain the lavender out by pouring the oil into a measuring cup or bowl with a strainer placed over the top (or spread muslin over the measuring cup and secure with a rubber band).

Pour into a bottle and add the essential oil. Place lid on bottle and shake to combine. Add a label. Let the recipient know that body oil is intended for use after the bath or scrub.

Place all of your items in a pretty basket or gift bag, add any extras (such as chocolate, tea, a wash cloth or loofah), write a heartfelt note, and you are on your way to making someone feel very special!

Want to learn more about making all-natural body scrubs? Check out my eBook, Simple Scrubs to Make and Give. Use coupon code LYW to get 20% off until May 17.

What are your favorite quick and easy homemade gifts?

	Stacy blogs at A Delightful Home where she shares tips for living a healthy life and creating a peaceful, happy haven for your family. She is the wife of a preacher and homeschool mom to three children.

Make a DIY Mother’s Day Gift Basket in Less Than 30 Minutes! is a post from Life Your Way

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